Drought in Kansas, April 21 to 30, 2026

Name: Drought in Kansas, April 21 to 30, 2026
Start: 2026-04-21T00:00
End: 2026-04-30T23:59
Location: Kansas

April 21 to 30, 2026 · NWS ICT · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

In central Kansas, a lack of precipitation led to severe drought conditions (D2) in all or portions of six counties in central and south central Kansas. This started in the last 10 days of the month.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS ICT wrote it up.

In central Kansas, a lack of precipitation led to severe drought conditions (D2) in all or portions of six counties in central and south central Kansas. This started in the last 10 days of the month. The first 20 days of the month had around 0.1 to 0.25 of an inch for much of the included areas.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Wichita, KS wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 20, 9:43 PM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Warm through Thursday, with high temperatures in the 70s and 80s.
Rain chances return Thursday, with some strong to severe storms possible.
Low chances for rain to begin next week.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 20, 9:43 PM CST, 2 hours 17 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Wichita KS
1043 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Warm through Thursday, with high temperatures in the 70s and 80s.

- Rain chances return Thursday, with some strong to severe
  storms possible.

- Low chances for rain to begin next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 241 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026

Water vapor imagery and RAP analysis this afternoon depict broad
upper ridging centered over the Great Basin with weak northwest flow
positioned over the Plains. Gusty south/southwest winds have been
observed across the forecast area and have helped to continue
promoting above normal temperatures in the 70s and low 80s. These
warm temperatures are expected to persist through the middle of the
week as the mid/upper ridge translates eastward. Additionally, with
a stout surface pressure gradient progged to reside across the area
during this period, gusty south/southwest winds are expected to
continue through Thursday.

A mid/upper wave is forecast to make its way into the region on
Thursday and provide support for shower and thunderstorm chances
across the forecast area. This feature has relatively consistent
agreement among mid/long-range models, with GFS/ECMWF/NAM prognosis
situating the wave over the Rockies/High Plains by Thursday morning.
The associated surface cold front is expected to progress to the
southeast with a southwest-northeast orientation, which is similar
to the setup this past Friday per the previous discussion. Ample
instability (2000+ J/kg) and deep-layer shear (40+ kts) will likely
allow for some severe storms initially during the afternoon, but
boundary-parallel shear is expected to force a linear storm mode
that should quickly preclude discrete mode hazards. At this point,
the best chances for rain appear to lie primarily east of Interstate
135, though this may change as additional information becomes
available.

Per long-range model consensus, southwesterly flow aloft is forecast
to continue over the area through the weekend, with another
mid/upper wave tracking over the Plains late Sunday into Monday.
This may promote additional chances for showers and storms once
again, though confidence this far out remains low. Stay tuned.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/...
Issued at 1040 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026

Low level wind shear has developed over central Kansas tonight
and will persist into the early morning hours. Meanwhile
southerly winds will increase during the day with some low
clouds possible MVFR cigs over southern Kansas during the
morning hours. Otherwise VFR conditions are expected to prevail
over the next 24hrs.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Issued at 241 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026

Gusty south/southwest winds alongside above normal temperatures and
low humidity will support very high grassland fire danger in areas
west of K-14 during the afternoon hours on Wednesday and
Thursday.

&&

.ICT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
None.

&&

DISCUSSION...JWK
AVIATION...CDJ
FIRE WEATHER...JWK

Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 20, 6:34 PM CST, 5 hours 26 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Wichita KS
734 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026

KSZ032-033-047>053-067>072-082-083-091>096-098>100-220045-
Russell-Lincoln-Barton-Ellsworth-Saline-Rice-McPherson-Marion-Chase-
Reno-Harvey-Butler-Greenwood-Woodson-Allen-Kingman-Sedgwick-Harper-
Sumner-Cowley-Elk-Wilson-Neosho-Chautauqua-Montgomery-Labette-
734 PM CDT Mon Apr 20 2026

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of Central Kansas,
South Central Kansas and Southeast Kansas.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday

Very high grassland fire danger is expected during the afternoon
hours on Wednesday and Thursday, generally along and west of State
Highway 14. This is due to above normal temperatures, low humidity,
and gusty south winds.

Thunderstorm chances may return to the region by Thursday afternoon
and evening. Stay tuned as we refine the potential for severe
weather and heavy rainfall with this activity.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not anticipated tonight.

&&

For a graphical version of this information, see our webpage at:
https://www.weather.gov/erh/ghwo?wfo=ict

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Russell

When: April 21, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Russell forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.915, -98.762 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Moderate drought (D1) for earlier in the month worsened to severe drought (D2) for all but a tiny portion of the northeast corner of the county on the 21st. Only around 0.25 of an inch had fallen in that time period. There were showers and storms that moved in and brought 1.25 to 1.75 inches based on cooperative observer and CoCoRaHS reports. This led to improvement over northern portions of the county with a southern swatch from middle of the county in the west to the bottom quarter in the east.

Drought, Lincoln

When: April 21, 12:00 AM CST to April 27, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 39.045, -98.208 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Severe drought (D2) just clipped the southwest corner of the county for a week. Under 0.2 of an inch of rain fell in the first 20 days of the month. A couple rounds of showers and storms moved through on the 26th bringing nearly 1.5 inches to that corner based on cooperative observer reports. The rest of the county was in moderate drought (D1).

Drought, Ellsworth

When: April 21, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Ellsworth forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.697, -98.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Severe drought (D2) moved into the southwest half of the county following under 0.2 of an inch of rain in the first 20 days. There was a slight improvement in the northwest corner for the 28th after a couple of rounds of showers and storms from the 26th with around 1.5 inches of rain based on cooperative observer and CoCoRaHS reports.

Drought, Rice

When: April 21, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Rice forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.347, -98.201 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The entire county was put into severe drought (D2) with around or under 0.25 of an inch of rain the first 20 days. Some locations stayed around only 0.25 inch for the month with northern locations reaching closer to one inch based on cooperative observer and CoCoRaHS reports.

Drought, McPherson

When: April 21, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: McPherson forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 38.392, -97.648 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Severe drought (D2) moved into roughly the western third to half of the county while the eastern portions ranged from moderate drought (D1) to abnormally dry (D0). Precipitation amounts for the entire month were under an inch even half inch in the far west based on cooperative observer and CoCoRaHS reports.

Drought, Reno

When: April 21, 12:00 AM CST to April 30, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Reno forecast zone
Reported by: Drought Monitor
Coordinates: 37.953, -98.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The northwest quadrant into the northeast portion of the county had severe drought (D2) included at the end of the month. These locations had under 0.5 an inch of rain for the month according to CoCoRaHS reports. While the rest of the county ranged from moderate drought (D1) to abnormally dry (D0) where higher amounts of rain fell during the month with multiple rounds of showers and storms.

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Kansas in 2026 Every state in 2026 This day in weather history Warnings in Kansas, April 2026

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1334717, 1335449, 1335450, 1335451, 1335452, 1335453.